


Return

by astersky



Category: Tenkuu no Escaflowne | The Vision of Escaflowne
Genre: F/M, Post-Canon, Post-Gaea, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-25
Updated: 2015-04-25
Packaged: 2018-03-25 16:16:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3816841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astersky/pseuds/astersky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It had been six years since her return. Hitomi's day is tinged with memories of Gaea as she wonders- will she ever go back?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Return

**Author's Note:**

> A take on what could have happened after that cliffhanger ending. Enjoy!

Hitomi Kanzaki was a morning person. The world may be full of uncertainties but nothing gave her joy like the sight of a sunrise, light quivering in the pale blue atmosphere with anticipation, a slight breeze lifting from the ground and blowing strands of her hair skywards. While the muscles at the back of her legs stretched and strengthened, she kept her eyes on the end of the road. The tarmac seemed to be in flight with her, the white dashes running alongside, flashing as her body stretched towards the horizon. Faster…faster…the blood pounding in her ears sounded the rhythm, as she placed one foot in front of the other in a feather touch to the ground. The tree loomed ahead and almost reluctantly, she slowed down gradually, until her last step brought her in line with the base of its trunk. Filling her lungs with air, she thought to herself that it had been a thoroughly satisfying exercise. She could feel sweat trickling down her back and warmth coursing through her veins.

It was a cool spring morning, and all over the city, branches were beginning to droop with the weight of Sakura blossoms. Hitomi was looking forward to the weekend since it was her first long holiday in a long time. She started walking back to her apartment, remembering to buy ketchup from the grocery store on her way back. Breakfast would be an omlette, nothing too fancy, she decided. “Good morning Hitomi chan!” one of her fellow students called out from a balcony above, when she’d reached the housing complex. “Morning! How is the shoulder today, Sakamoto?” Hitomi smiled back. “Fantastic as always, doctor san!” She responded before Hitomi disappeared beyond the threshold of her own apartment. She aligned her shoes after taking them off, scored a perfect basket by throwing her socks into the washing machine and collapsed in front of the T.V. The space opposite was strangely empty; her roommate Sakuno had taken advantage of the long weekend to escape from the realm of reality, probably. Switching on the T.V, she flipped through a few channels before finding one that was playing music. She turned up the volume and drifted into the kitchen to make her meal, singing along to one of her favourites, ‘Star Wish’. The song reminded her of all the times she’d sung it with Yukari-

_As the stars shining in the fabric of the night_

_I shall sew together my feelings for you_

_Wrap it around a powerful talisman_

_And set it afloat across the cosmos of the gods_

 

When the last bars of ‘Star Wish’ played on the television, it ended with a soft piano note and ripples of silence flowed outward from the sound. Hitomi busied herself with her meal and reminded herself to clear up the house before she left that afternoon. She had been supposed to visit home, but her parents had been invited to a retreat, and her younger brother was going to sports camp. The morning passed quickly enough and before heading to the train station, Hitomi stopped by at one of her favourite bookstores, tucked away in the folds of Tokyo’s metropolis- quilt. It had been a while since she’d come here. The semester she had just finished had been hectic and coupled with track practice, had left no time for leisurely pursuits. The sight of books piled haphazardly from the floor to the ceiling was a welcome one. Taking her time to browse through the shelves, she finally decided on two books: a fantasy novel and a memoir written by a famous Noh artist. The cover for the memoir was fantastic, in her opinion. A mask halved by the edge of the jacket, against a white background, with red petals floating around, an infinite space of beauty marked by wood-brush strokes. It was strange, how the heightened awareness she had experienced after returning from Gaea returned to her unexpectedly sometimes. The last time it had happened, she’d been in the science lab at university completing her record on the human anatomy. Ryotaro’s bones had taken on a mythical quality, being illuminated in the fluorescent light. “Miss? Do you need anything else?” the shop assistant asked, noticing her dazed look. “No, thank you. Could you bill these please?” Hitomi smiled, laughing internally at the man’s worried look.

She stepped outside onto the street. The sun was warm against her skin and the piano tune circulating in the air from the music store across created theperfect mood. She hummed as she crossed a few intersections to reach the train station, taking in the busy city street and occasionally admiring the shop windows, particularly one containing a red leather jacket. The station itself was relatively empty and it took lesser time than she’d anticipated to buy a ticket and locate the platform. “What’s the time, dear?”an old lady walking past asked.

“It’s 11:50.”

“Oh dear, I’m going to miss my train.”

“Which platform are you on, granny? I’ll help you” Hitomi replied earnestly. The old lady waved her hand in dismissal, “It’s the one across, but I’m not going. My grandson is supposed to take me to the doctor and I’m stalling, you see.”

This situation was made infinitely more amusing when she caught sight of the supposed grandson standing across the lines, gesticulating wildly and trying to get the old lady’s attention. A train glided in the next moment and stopped on the other side, blocking him from view. Hitomi turned to the old woman, “You know that there’s another train in ten minutes, right?” “Might be a good time to take an extended loo break then.” she said before shuffling off.

Hitomi watched her leave and was still shaking with laughter when she was on the train later. The cityscape slowly dispersed into green fields and she reclined in her seat, staring at the continuous outlines of sheet music bars that the telephone lines were making in the sky. Her eyes closed slowly, retaining the impression of light. She floated in the liminal zone between sleep and wakefulness and her mind extended it consciousness to seek what she most yearned for. Sometimes, she was rewarded- a feeling, sensation, a dream on the verge of dissipation. Like her heightened consciousness, these came to her on rare, ordinary days. But they were not the thoughts of the person she wanted to hear. You lied…she thought, allowing herself to feel remnants of the turmoil she’d faced when she’d realized that she had lost her connection with Van. It was only three years after her return, that she’d woken up to realize that she hadn’t thought about Gaea in a long time and to her, that was okay.

After accepting that, the wheels had begun to turn again. She finished high school, got into a prestigious medical school in Tokyo and had made the reserve team for the Olympics. Her personal bests had been improving steadily, her grades were quite good and unlike a few confused souls of her age, she knew what she wanted from life. At Yukari’s persistence, she’d even dated a guy for a while, perhaps to prove to her concerned friend that she was alright ,more than anything else. He had been from a neighbouring architecture college and their first meeting had been at a goukon where they had bonded over their love for sports and collecting sports cards. Their first date had been nice enough…the window catching the glare of the sun suddenly reminded Hitomi what had happened that night. They had just reached the doorstep of his apartment and were hesitantly wondering how one behaved at the end of a date. Finally, he leant forward and kissed her lightly. There was a moment of silence and he started apologizing profusely. Hitomi waved his words away, blaming herself for being caught unawares and looked around in embarrassment, which was when she saw a pillar of light in the sky.

Without thinking, her feet were already moving towards the general direction. The place the light was emitting from was concealed by many tall buildings and she had to circle around closed off alleys but her concern was hardly for the places or people she ran past. Rounding the corner, the sneakers that had earned her censure from Yukari skidded to an abrupt stop. It was a sports stadium and the light was coming from one of the several powerful contraptions illuminating the area. Strangely, her heart plunged into the depths of disappointment. She’d convinced herself that she was over the whole thing but that momentary sight had sparked off a dormant hope that had blazed through and sent fire through her veins. “Hitomi, are you alright? You took off so suddenly, is something the matter?” the guy had followed her and asked hesitantly. Hitomi turned to him, turned back to the stadium and did the only thing she could. Laughed.

                                                                                                           XXX

 

The decrepit platform showed proof of the many seasons it had weathered. Yet to her, every concrete square was familiar, comforting. She absorbed the sights of the sleepy old town as she walked past. Quiet lanes strewn with Sakura blossoms, there a tiny child in a sailor uniform, a dog trotting alongside to keep him company. She reached the cemetery in no time and quickly located the grave of her grandparents.

“Hello grandma” she sighed at the gold inscription on the stone slab, “Things have been going well since the last time I came. Yukari called the other day.”

Her best friend was now working in South Korea as an interpreter. The last time she’d spoken to her was a week ago, when she’d called from Seoul, shouting into the phone amidst the sounds of traffic: she and Amano senpai were on their way to a friend’s house and their cat had given birth to five adorable kittens- two ginger ones, a white and two greys. She was considering naming them after members of her favourite boy band and she had bought a new purple top from the franchise stores and was going to be visiting Japan in a few months to attend her parents’ wedding anniversary and she wanted to visit all the good stores in Japan, especially the new mall she had heard all about and Hitomi absolutely had to come with her- Amano senpai’s voice interrupted at this point to say hello to Hitomi and remind Yukari that she should get around to the most important news- they were having a baby! Hitomi smiled, remembering the screams of delight and Yukari’s excited planning for the nursery and the clothes- she was sure it would be a girl. They’d asked Hitomi to be the child’s godmother. She laughed, liking the prospect of the role of Aunt that she was to take on in a few months and her heart swelled with gratitude and love for her best friends, who’d been with her through everything.

“It suddenly made me feel old grandma, as I put down the phone, but in a good way- it means that the world is moving on.”

It had been six years since Gaea. It still came back to her in her dreams- the war ravaged plains of blood, being caught in an endless trap of visions and fear, but on this sunny day, memories flitted across the transient petals of consciousness- the tilted smile of mischevious felines, the dazzling beauty of the valleys, the majesty of solemn weapons and the boy with the wings of an angel.

“I wish I could talk to you about Gaea. Mother and Yukari and Amano believed me but I don’t think they will ever truly understand what that place is…or was… to me. To be honest, I’m not quite sure myself…” Hitomi trailed off but resolved not to dwell on the past too long, because like the outermost edges of a dream, she had begun to doubt the veracity of her own recollections.

“Anyway, grandma, we’re all fine down here. I’m going to be staying at your house for a couple of days and clean it up before the next tenants move in. I hope you and grandpa are happy up there. Don’t fight too much.”

She slowly made her way out, pausing briefly to bow at an old lady who had just entered through the gates. “Lovely day dear, you don’t want to hang around in a cemetery when life is speeding past outside!” the old lady peered at Hitomi over her half moon spectacles. “I’ll keep that in mind.” Hitomi blinked but the lady’s blue patterned skirts had already swished past.

She was certainly meeting a lot of interesting people today, she thought, stretching out her hand to catch a drifting petal. A colourful poster on the wall indicated a festival was being held at the local shrine that night. When Hitomi reached the house, she searched for some of the yukatas that had been stored in the spare room. She found two she liked immensely- a yellow one with purple flowers patterned on it and a dark blue yukata with white sheep. She chose the latter to wear at the festival, thinking it would be a nice change to get some authentic Japanese food after all the take aways and cup noodles she’d lived on the past year. She cleared up the house and wrote down some instructions for the next family to stay- a couple with two small children, if she’d heard correctly from her father. It would be nice for them to grow up in this cheerful, if not slightly quiet little town, she mused.

Later that night, the festival proved her wrong. Everyone was in high spirits and the noise was as abundant as the people. A group of red-clad people played the drums enthusiastically and vendors called out to the people to try out their latest wares. Hitomi saw a couple of neighbours she recognized from her summer visits, and stopped to enquire about their health and families. But other than that, she wandered around alone, stopping to eat and observe others at their games. She caught sight of a pool filled with coloured balloons. “Can I have a go?” she asked. “Certainly, young lady!” the shopkeeper boomed, handing her a thin stick to pick them up with. Her eyes scanned the balloons bobbing up and down and she finally decided upon a blue-green one.

Only later, when she was carrying it in her hand did she realize that it resembled the earth as viewed from the surface of Gaea. Here, the solitary full moon graced the sky and Hitomi gazed upwards, trying to find the invisible world shimmering in the wake of its light.

The festival suddenly felt too crowded and the beach seemed like a better place to be at. It was at a small distance from the shrine. Hitomi recollected all the times her parents had taken her there and if she tried really hard, remember the taste of flavoured ice on her tongue. Ghosts of her younger self ran past her as she gazed at the infinite water. The dark, inky waves were cool against her feet and the white sheep on her yukata seemed brighter in the moonlight. It had been one of her grandmother’s favourites: passed down from her own grandmother. Her grandmother had said that it was a lucky yukata, one that had brought her a world beyond anything she could have imagined for herself. Hitomi knew in her heart that it had been the same clothes she had worn when she’d travelled to Gaea- and wondered whether there had been other people in her family who had gone there before her and whether there would be any after. She rubbed the fabric of her sleeve in between her fingers, hoping that it would contain some residual magic that would open a path. But then her grandmother’s words came back to her at the familiar touch. _You have the power to choose your own destiny, Hitomi chan. When the world has weighed you down with its sorrows and joys, remember that the universe acknowledges those wills which emanate straight from the heart_.

It was certainly worth a try. Hitomi looked up at the floating moon and said “I wish to return to Gaea, to the place that was a home, where my heart remains amongst the love that was given.” The night responded with silence, but it felt good to say the words out loud. For if I must never see you again, I wish for my voice to reach you, she thought of the person who had changed her life the most. The future was uncertain, she understood- there were several ways in which her paths could diverge or converge. She thought of the old woman and her grandson and the lady she’d met in the cemetery. Somehow both represented possibilities, but Hitomi was confident of the fact that the future was her own to make.

 

Beyond the shrine, fireworks shot into the sky and burst into glorious colour. The glitter reflected in the far off waves before folding into the darkness, but the night sky retained the brightness even as more rockets sped to join it. Hitomi turned around to head back home when a small point of light shone directly above her. She stepped back hurriedly, confused and then realized what was happening- a beam of light descended from the heavens and spread on the sand. Your choice, the unearthly music coming from the threads of light sang to her. Hitomi swallowed, her eyes wide with disbelief. Was she prepared to leave it all behind? Her life, her family, her profession? She knew she did not have much time before the portal closed forever. She quickly searched for doubt in the recesses of her soul but strangely, found something else entirely: curiosity. Letting this second chance go by would leave her wondering for the rest of her life. And life was too short to have regrets, if that was one of the things Gaea had taught her. Breathing in, she stepped into the pool of light before she changed her mind and felt her body being lifted gently into the air. The last thing she saw was the smiling moon.

 

                                                                                                            XXX

 

The music continued ringing in her ears when she’d opened her eyes. The bright light hurt her eyes but when it had ceased blinding her, she saw Escaflowne kneeling in the shade of a rain tree. “Hello, old friend” she whispered softly, raising a hand in greeting. She had a feeling that the guymelef had brought her here somehow- the same magic the light had been woven with resonated from the armour of the majestic guymelef. The clearing of forest was deserted and when she turned away, she saw that she was standing on raised ground. Below, human settlement spread out, all facing a castle whose towers stretched towards the sky. Fanelia, rebuilt from the ashes of war.

Her mind whirled with questions as she followed the narrow path down towards the city. Would anyone recognize her? It was a certainty that things had changed a lot but would it be remotely similar to the place and its people she remembered? And how would they react to her appearance? Van, Merle, Allan, Millerna? A strange feeling in her stomach arose at the thought of Van and she realized that she was extremely nervous. What if he had forgotten her? Time was never kind to feelings. What if he was married ? It would be a part of his duties as King of Fanelia. Assuming he was still King, and that another devastating war had not taken place while she was away. She paused for a while, was that why I lost the link to him? But it wasn’t possible, Fanelia looked so peaceful and the castle in the distance gleamed like a beacon of well being and protection. Fear planted a multitude of doubts in her mind, but she suddenly realized that the very same fear had caused her a lot of heartache the last time she was on Gaea. Living in the present was something she’d learnt to do when she returned to Earth and it had eased her burden.

“Positive thoughts, positive thoughts” she muttered to herself, making her way past low hanging branches and thorny shrubs. Shouts of laughter emanated from the distance; the noise of children engrossed in an exciting game. As she drew closer, she could make out little heads running to and fro in a patch of grassy land. A small boy with dark hair tossed a ball to a feline-boy, Hitomi recognized one of Merle’s folk with astonishment. Things have changed, she smiled to herself, watching them toss the ball back and forth. One of the children threw the ball too high, causing it to be embedded in a tree. The feline-boy ran upto a man she had failed to notice, and pleaded. Hitomi felt as though time were frozen. Amongst the rush of pure white feathers was the boy, no, the man who anchored her to this world. It was _Van_.

He spread his exquisite wings and flew upwards towards the accused tree. Wearing a red vest emblazoned with a dragon and heavy black boots, Van resembled the boy she’d known so many years ago. But there were distinct changes: he seemed taller, his hair was cropped closer to his neck and the expression of perpetual distrust and rage had been replaced by that of alert wisdom. His smile came to him more naturally now, as if his worries were all fleeting nightmares of the past.

The children cheered as Van retrieved the ball. Meanwhile, Hitomi’s legs had turned to stone. She could feel her blood pound in her ears and her mouth had turned dry. Her voice refused to obey her mind, and escaped in a soft gush of exhaled air. She stepped back a little, hoping to gather her wits but the sound alerted Van to the presence of a stranger. In a flash, he had reached the ground, drawn his sword and gathered the children behind him. “I know you’re out there. Show yourself.”

“No harm intended,” Hitomi replied, stepped out into the clearing slowly. She looked into Van’s eyes and gave him a tremulous smile, waiting for his reaction. The expression on his face turned to one of shock. “It can’t be… _Hitomi_?” Before she could reply, he had moved closer until he stood right in front of her. He had grown a lot taller since last time but the same spirit shone through his eyes. “Is it really you?” he asked, lifting a hand to her face, as if to confirm the reality of her appearance. “No it’s not” Hitomi tried to joke, grasping his outstretched hand and feeling the warmth of his skin.

There was a sudden motion as Van reached forward and took her into his arms. “I thought I would never see you again” his voice was heavy with emotion; Hitomi realized it to be exultant relief. She encircled her arms around his body and squeezed them tight, “Of course I had to come back, I have unfinished business.” His body was unfamiliar against hers, but she could feel his strong heartbeat and the warmth of his arms was comforting. Van buried his head into her neck and exhaled slowly. “When the connection between us faded, I didn’t know what to do with myself,” his voice was muffled, “I swore that if you ever came back, I would never let you go again.” As if to prove the point, he tightened his grip on her simultaneously. “Maybe it was the universe’s way of trying to let us live our individual lives. And look at what you’ve accomplished. You’ve built Fanelia from nothingness, and brought peace to the kingdom.” Hitomi said softly. “We had the help of several kingdoms,” he said humbly, releasing her slightly to look into her eyes, “But what is this unfinished business of which you speak?”

“It’s something I should have done before I left.”

Hitomi’s eyes sparkled as she took his face in her hands and pulled downwards so that his lips met hers. She heard a small sound of surprise as his warm lips melted into hers, but it was momentary, and he leaned in, gathering her close to deepen the kiss. There was a pleasant tingling sensation in her limbs and she felt her heart soar with joy. They swayed in the same spot for a long time. Van’s lips curved in a smile and they broke apart momentarily for air when they saw the children staring wide eyed at them.

Hitomi blushed and even Van looked embarrassed. He motioned for them to come closer and they immediately crowded around the pair. “Lady Hitomi, it’s an honour.” A girl with red hair spoke, and the rest followed her in bowing deeply. “Oh no, there’s no need for all that! I’m not a lady or anything.” The child replied earnestly, “But you are an Esteemed Peer of the Realm. King Van says that you helped us win the war against Zaibach and so you are almost like royalty.” Van rubbed the back of his neck in further embarrassment, as Hitomi turned her questioning gaze towards him. “It is true though, I wouldn’t be standing here without you, nor would the kingdom.” “I did what I could to help” Hitomi replied, still surprised that he had thought of her so highly to as to honour her in such a way. “Come to play with us sometime, Lady Hitomi!” one of the children said enthusiastically. “Of course I will!” she beamed back, as Van entwined her fingers in his. He said, “Will you come with me? I would like to show you the city and the castle; my home.” Hitomi nodded, feeling glad simply to be standing next to him.

“Allen is in town till tomorrow, I’m sure he will be happy to see you.” He continued, as they walked across the forest.

“How is he? How is everyone else?”

“They’re all doing fine. Millerna finally acknowledged her love for Dryden and he threw a feast for the whole city that lasted a month, which understandably, annoyed her to no end. But it seems they are living peacefully.”

Hitomi laughed upon hearing this, as Van continued. “Allen is in charge of a province to the north, so I hardly see him. Besides, both Selena and his wife prefer their estate to the castle.”

“Eh?? Allen is married ?!?”

“I suppose it took the right woman to beat him down into a proper relationship, that philandering bastard.” His eyebrows furrowed together in contempt momentarily, “Their daughter was born at the beginning of spring. I’m sure you will love her, she’s a wonderful little kid.”

“Really?? What is her name?”

“Hitomi. Both Allen and Merle thought it fit perfectly.”

Hitomi was confused for a moment, until she realized what he was saying.

“ALLEN MARRIED MERLE???”

“That’s right.” Van’s mouth was set in a hard line, “I tried to bring her to her senses but she got her way, as usual. All I can do is to make sure that my goddaughter is not irreversibly screwed up because of her father.”

She was still reeling from shock, but managed to composed herself, “I’m sure he’s a great father.”

“He‘s alright,” Van admitted reluctantly, “But it doesn’t mean I trust him.”

“Oh, I would’ve loved to see your expression when you found out what was going on!”

“It wasn’t a pretty sight” he muttered darkly before sighing deeply, “But there are so many things I need to tell you about.”

They had reached the edge of the forest and the city spread out in front of them. “I guess we have a lot to learn about each other too.” Hitomi mused, looking upwards.

"We do. But then, we also have all the time in the world.”

The white clouds moving slowly across the brilliant blue sky were testament to the fact.

 

                                                                                                           XXX

**Author's Note:**

> At the risk of promoting consumerist (albeit lovely) pop culture, EXO's 'My Answer' was the mood music while writing the Hitomi-Van scene.


End file.
